


Headache

by TheArchivists



Category: Clone High
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Graphic Description, Historical References, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, JFK is pretty shaken, Joan Comforts JFK, Joanfk, John F. Kennedy Assassination, Light Angst, Probably ooc, Teen Romance, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:14:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27110287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheArchivists/pseuds/TheArchivists
Summary: In which the clone's class unit on their genetic parents isn't the best for a certain few students. Especially when they never really learned about who they were cloned from in the first place. Or when their parent was assassinated, in public, which was caught on video.Now, Joan sat in the boys restroom stall, rubbing Kennedy's back as he was throwing up in the toilet, wondering how the hell they'd gotten to this point.Nothing bad ever happens to the Kennedy's, right?
Relationships: JFK & Joan of Arc (Clone High), JFK/Joan of Arc (Clone High)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 237





	Headache

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! My first fic on here, and I saw the Clone High section needed some love, so here you go!
> 
> So, some violence will be in here, mostly surrounding the actual assassination of JFK, description and all of that. The fact that JFK seems pretty oblivious to the whole Kennedy situation got this started, and when I happened to stumble across the Zapruder Film, I couldn't help but write this out. Enjoy! (I don't suggest watching the film if you don't have a strong stomach, as fair warning.)

Being the clone of a historically significant figure was always interesting. Joan didn't want to connect to her historical patronage like most other clones did. She just wanted to be her.

JFK, on the other hand, practically led his whole lifestyle after the former president, albeit the morally questionable side.

Of course, they were still in high school, with that came classes, and with classes, came projects. Joan didn't mind her history class, she did extremely well actually, not needing to study for most tests. 

She was one of the few underclassmen in the class, but not the only one. A few other's she didn't know, but JFK sat right next to her. 

She didn't mind him, really. He was not the fastest, but he was pretty determined. Sometimes he would whisper over to her, asking a question or making a innuendo about some topic on the board. She answered his questions, or quipped about his humour, but they began to become friends in the class, to the point where Joan might joke back, depending on her mood of course.

They often did their projects together, working as a pair, where Joan could get the information and JFK could work the presentation. For as aloof as he seemed most times, he was a good student.

History class always brought the time which many of the upperclassman called "the Reflection Week". The teacher were in charge of educating the clones on their original and that meant a week of watching videos, taking notes and generally uninteresting topic to Joan. She already new about the original Joan of Arc, but there wasn't much she could do about avoiding the Reflection Week.

JFK never actually looked into his genetic father's history, at least no more than his conquest of the Moon and various celebrities. He was interest to finally know more, but he could honestly care less.

The door to the classroom flew open as the teacher made his way slowly to the desk, abruptly stopping and side conversations between the students.

"Alright, class! Listen! Today, we are beginning the unit on you!" Mr. Sheepman shouted at the classroom of teenagers. "You, as in your genetic parents! The original figures which you were cloned from!" 

The was a rumble of groans and a few excited murmurs before Mr. Sheepman quieted the class again.

"We will be going alphabetically by first name of course, so first ten minutes of class are dedicated to," The teacher looked at he clipboard, squinting. "Uh, Alexander Hamilton!" 

Mr. Sheepman turned off the lights and began the program for the class. It was around a nine minute video summarising the life, and death of Alexander Hamilton. 

The rest of the class began to lose traction on their productivity, with some hushed conversation over the video audio.

Joan finished her summary note within the first three minutes, then rested her pencil on the table. JFK noticed she was done and scooted his desk over, closer to hers.

"Hey, uh, so what do you think?" Kennedy asked, cupping his hand to one side of his face in an attempt to whisper.

Joan leaned back. "Of what?

Kennedy shrugged, gesturing towards the presentation. "Of this whole thing. Learnin' about the, uh, originals and all that."

"Oh, it's okay. I mean, I already know about the original Joan of Arc, so it's not anything new."

JFK shuffled in his seat, and glanced back up towards the front of the room. Joan looked over at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You do know about the original JFK, right?" She asked, leaning over slightly. 'He would have to know, right?' Joan thought to herself.

"He was a macho, womanising, stud, who, uh, conquered the moon, right?" Kennedy grinned nervously over at Joan, who looked at him skeptically. 

"That's pretty vague, but yes. Do you know how he died and all that?" She asked again, her voice quieter on the second half of the question, almost as if not to disturb someone.

"Uh, nope. I never got to that, er, I got stuck on the scandal stuff." He admitted. "He had a few brothers, I think."

Joan was slightly worried for JFK. He was completely oblivious to the fact his genetic father had his head blown off. Even for her, just reading about being burned alive was disconcerting, but there was video of the John F. Kennedy Assassination. She was genuinely concerned on how he would take it. It's not every day you see yourself shot, much less two times.

"Alright, Joan of Arc!" Mr. Sheepman shouted at the class, snapping the two from their conversation. "You're next, just make sure to have a general knowledge, everyone!"

The video started and the class was briefly quieted as the narrator went on about the French saint.

"You, uh, haven't heard any voices yet, have ya?" JFK leaned over and whispered after a few minutes.

Joan chuckled slightly. "No, I haven't. I had a good scare though when that radio station went through my retainer." JFK's eyebrows rose a little bit, but she waved it off. "No, I haven't heard anything. Historians say she might've been a schizophrenic or epileptic, she might even of had tuberculosis from milk that would've caused the visions."

"That's crazy, betty. Well, uh, just watch your dairy, we don't wanna lose ya." Kennedy joked and Joan rolled her eyes.

"Alright, John! You're up!" They heard the next announcement.

"Oh boy, I'm kinda excited." JFK smiled over at Joan and she wanted to say something, but she couldn't find the heart.

The presentation started and it started off introducing the former president, and so on. Joan watched Kennedy scribble something down and then he looked back up.

"...On November 22nd, 1963, John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas, Texas."

Joan looked over to see Kennedy had stopped writing and was just staring at the presentation with a blank look.

Kennedy watched as pictures appeared on the screen, he looked exactly like him, with him being the original John F. Kennedy. Granted the original was much older in the pictures, but JFK felt like he was looking in a mirror. Sometimes he forgot he was a genetic clone, and wasn't just Clone High's JFK. 

"The assassination was captured accidentally by a home video recorder by Abraham Zapruder, and the 486 frames captured both times the President was shot, cementing the video in history." The presentation continued.

Joan was getting more concerned.

Did JFK even know?

He was about to watch his own head be blown apart?

The film started and Joan was really hating Mr. Sheepman for not saying that it might be disturbing to watch. He just sat back in his half eaten chair, half asleep.

Kennedy watched as the original and his wife sat in the back of the car, JFK was waving occasionally and smiling. The video panned out, and it followed the car for a short while, before Kennedy suddenly raises his arms to his throat, the first shot.

He swallowed hard.

Jacqueline Kennedy leans over, her hand of JFK's back as the car continues.  
A few more seconds later, the flash of red, as Kennedy's arms drop and his head lurches backwards, red shooting into the sky above him. The right side of his head blown away, exposing the matter that was inside and his scalp separates. 

Kennedy can't move his eyes away from the screen.

JFK's body slumps over onto his wife, who grabs him before realising her John wasn't there anymore. She lunges out of the back of the car as secret service run to catch up with the vehicle. The clip ends, and the screen cuts to the rest of the presentation.

Joan hadn't taken her eyes of JFK, noticing him visibly becoming more pale with each second that passed.

Suddenly, Kennedy shot up from his desk, his chair clattering behind him as he dashed out the classroom door.

"Shit, shit, shit." Joan muttered to herself as she removed herself from the class and chased after him.

\---

Kennedy had just barely made it to the restroom and into a stall before his stomach emptied itself into the toilet bowl. 

Joan had heard him retch before she got in the restroom, it was hard to chase after the track star, but she pushed the door open and walked into the men's restroom. She heard him vomit a second time as she wet a paper towel and went into the stall.

He looked like shit. His face was pale, clammy, and his legs and hands were shaking violently. Joan reached around him and flushed the toilet. She placed the cold, wet paper on his forehead. She rubbed his back as he coughed slightly, his throat irritated from the sudden expulsion, before he heaved a third time.

He coughed again, before clearing his throat.

"Uh, sor-" He started hoarsely but Joan interrupted him.

"Nope, you don't have to apologise, Jack. Just let me know what I can do." Joan was leaning on the stall wall as she kept rubbing his back, he flushed the contents of his stomach a second time. John felt his face heat up at her use of his nickname, but that feeling was quickly replaced by the uncomfortable heaviness that rested in the pit of his stomach.

Kennedy felt like crap, yes, but it made him feel a little better that Joan was here, comforting him.

Wait.

Joan?

His mind was frustratingly slower, trying to connect the pieces of the situation. He looked up at her, slightly confused but not unappreciative of the company. 

"Why'd ya follow me in here?" Kennedy said, his voice was hoarse and crackly, which was a stark contrast to his usual tone.

Joan sat back on her thighs, hand still on his back. "Because I knew you'd need someone. No one needs to see themselves assassinated to know their past. Mr. Sheepman's just an ass."

JFK coughed out a choked laugh, his throat angrily burned at him. "Well, thank ya, betty. I really wasn't expecting that to get to me like it did. It was just..," He looked down at his hands gripping the toilet, his knuckles white. "It was just a lot." 

Joan nodded and wiped his face down some more, which Kennedy greatly appreciated. She stood up, pulling him up along with her carefully, before leading him to the sink.

"Splash some water on your face." She instructed gently. Joan turned on the faucet and JFK cupped his hands under it.

"When'd ya get so good at this?" He asked jokingly as he tossed the water onto his too-warm face.

Joan leaned against the sink next to him and chuckled.

"Cleo's a horrendously sick drunk, when she'd get home from your parties hammered, I learned to help her out a bit. At least I didn't have to hold your hair back."

John felt a little guilty at that, but he turned the faucet off and wiped his face dry with a paper towel.

"Well, thank ya, Joan. I really, uh, appreciate it." He smiled at her and she smiled lightly back.

"Of course. If you need anything, just let me know, alright?" Joan turned to exit before Scudworth happened to see she was in the men's restroom.

"Wait."

Joan turned back around and suddenly was enveloped in JFK's arms, which practically covered her frame. God, she forgot how tall he was sometimes.

"Seriously, Joan, thank ya." He muttered, his throat still sounding like it'd been stripped of anything it had.

Joan wouldn't admit it, but she sunk into the hug a little bit, accepting the sturdy embrace. He needed it right? Joan was ninety-nine percent sure her face was the same color as his shirt.

She wrapped what she could of her arms around his back, rubbing it slightly.

"You're welcome, Jack."

JFK didn't know how long he had Joan in his arms for, but it was long enough for him to realise how petite she was compared to him. He might've been smothering her for all he knew. He unwrapped his arms from her slightly, catching that she didn't pull away at first and there was a slight blush on her face, but it only lasted a few moments before she cleared her throat and released her own grasp on him. 

"I, um, think we should head back to class." Joan murmured, but it felt like she was yelling in the silence of the restroom.

"Yeah, er, probably." JFK looked hesitantly at the restroom door

Joan saw the hesitation on his face.

"Or," She added. "We could go to the Knoll? I'm sure they won't mind if we miss an hour, school's almost over anyways." 

Kennedy's face relaxed at the suggestion, smiling slightly.

"Yeah, that'd be nice." He grinned. "But what about our stuff?"

"I got it, don't worry," Joan patted him on the chest. "Just meet me at your car in five minutes."

"Alright, but the convertible top is goin' up, Joansie." 

They exited the restroom strategically, Joan veered off towards the classroom while JFK took a sharp turn towards the student lot, walking briskly. 

Kennedy couldn't help the grin on his face as he exited the building, flipping his keys in his hand, as he strode towards his vehicle.

"Man, what a knock-out." He chuckled to himself as he opened the driver's door and sat down, starting the car. He hit a switch on the dashboard and the soft-top started emerging from the back of the Thunderbird.

He looked at the rear door where he saw Joan appear, two backpacks slung over her shoulders, and a dead-set stride towards his car.

He watched as she opened the passenger side door and tossed their bags in the back, before sitting down and putting on her seatbelt.

"Alright, step on it, Kennedy." She looked at him and grinned.

"Yes, ma'am." He put on his sunglasses with a smile, before they peeled out of the parking lot towards the diner.

Anywhere was better than that damned classroom.

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't help but imagine JFK watching the film in class for a project or something, so here it is! Not checked or anything so if you have suggestions, let me know!


End file.
